The 2024 European Championship and Copa America may have only come to an end in mid-July, but the next international break is already on the horizon, arriving just a few weeks into the new domestic season in Europe.
While the international break is often a dull period for club football fans, those who follow their national team home and away look forward to these dates as they support their nation in action. The next FIFA international window in September is worth watching, regardless: there are World Cup qualifiers for fans of South American, Asian, and African nations, while teams in Europe and North America will contest Nations League games.
The 2024/25 season will have frequent international breaks, with pauses in September, October, and November, and then March of 2025.
The Sporting News has the details on the FIFA international match calendar below.
Key Dates for the International Break
The next international break will take place from September 2-10, 2024. That's just less than three weeks into the new club season.
Below is a list of the dates for the international match calendar for the coming year, up to and including the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June 2025.
The FIFA International Match Calendar 2024/25
The September window will see Nations League fixtures for UEFA (Europe) and CONCACAF (North America) take place. It's also when the next round of World Cup qualifying matches for CONMEBOL (South America), CAF (Africa), and AFC (Asia) will be held.
UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League group stage will be played during the September, October, and November breaks. The quarterfinals and playoffs are scheduled for March 2025, followed by the finals in June.
At this point, the Nations League fixtures are the only confirmed matches for Europe, as the draw for the continent's World Cup qualifiers is yet to take place.
With 16 spots available for European teams in the expanded 48-nation 2026 World Cup, the qualifying process will also be adjusted. There will be 12 groups, with the winners automatically qualifying and the runners-up entering a playoff round, joined by the four highest-ranked Nations League teams that didn't secure top-two finishes in their qualifying groups.
AFC World Cup Qualifiers
The third round of AFC qualifying matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place from September 5, 2024, to June 10, 2025.
The 18 teams that progressed from the second round, consisting of nine group winners and nine runners-up, were divided into three groups of six. These teams will compete in a home-and-away format. The top two teams in each group will secure direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will move on to the fourth round.
CONCACAF Nations League
CONCACAF has also confirmed the schedule, venues, and kickoff times for the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League group-stage matches in September 2024. The competition features 41 national teams across three leagues (A, B, C) and will take place during the September, October, and November 2024 FIFA international windows.
The finals will take place next March.
Conclusion: A Packed Schedule for International Football
With the 2026 World Cup looming, the next few years will be busy for international football, with multiple qualifying tournaments taking place alongside the traditional Nations League fixtures. Keep checking back for updates on the draw for European World Cup qualifiers and the schedule for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
